Supporters of marriage equality gathered outside the legislature in Taipei yesterday to celebrate after the Council of Grand Justices’ announced its constitutional interpretation of the Civil Code, saying that it is unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to marry and calling on lawmakers to amend the code as soon as possible.
Hundreds of people had rallied on Qingdao W Road in the rain waiting for the ruling.
The crowd cheered as Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Lu Tai-lang (呂太郎) announced the grand justices’ decision via a live broadcast.
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, AP
Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association research associate Lu Hsin-chieh (呂欣潔) thanked the council for making a decision that upholds the values of human rights and equality on a constitutional level.
“The pursuit of equality cannot be postponed. I hope that the amendment is pushed through in two weeks, rather than two years,” Lu Hsin-chieh said, in reference to the two-year time frame set by the council for legislators to pass the amendment.
Awakening Foundation researcher Tseng Chao-yuan (曾昭媛) urged the Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus not to push through a proposed bill for a special act governing gay marriage, which has been widely criticized for being a discriminating “separate, but equal” approach to the cause.
PHOTO: Sam Yeh, AFP
For long-time gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei (祁家威), 59, who was one of the petitioners who brought a case to the grand justices, it was the culmination of 30 years of activism.
“I am leaping with joy like a bird,” Chi said. “I hope the legislature will prioritize the bill instead of dragging it out for another two years.”
He said he would forgive and communicate with opponents of gay marriage, adding that he believes that legalizing same-sex marriage would make society more democratic and advanced.
The Taipei Bureau of Civil Affairs has been rejecting marriage applications by same-sex couples and was also seeking clarification of the law.
The ruling was “like a cloud being blown away,” same-sex marriage supporter Uther Wu said.
Others at the rally said it would put Taiwan on the map.
“This will open doors for a lot of other nations in the region,” Toby Chang said.
“It is also good for Taiwan. It will bring a lot of international attention and recognition,” he added.
Additional reporting by AFP
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique